Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsManagementLifestyle HabitsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Symptoms
Management
Lifestyle Habits
Treatment
Bladderemptying relies on coordination between the kidneys, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. If something goes wrong with any of these, an overactive bladder can occur.
Up to 30% of men and 40% of women in the United States live with symptoms of overactive bladder.
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Causes of New and Sudden Bladder Weakness
Overactive bladder can happen as a result of poor communication between nerve signals in the bladder and brain, with the brain signaling to the bladder to empty even when not full. It can also happen when the bladder muscles are too active andcontract to pass urinebefore the bladder is full, causing a sudden, strong urge to urinate.
Bladder control problems, such as overactive bladder symptoms and urinary incontinence, can have a number of causes.
Risk factors and factors that can contribute to overactive bladder may include:
Many conditions can have symptoms similar to overactive bladder. If you are experiencing symptoms of overactive bladder, talk to your healthcare provider to ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Medications With Overactive Bladder as a Side Effect
Overactive Bladder Assessment ToolThe Urology Care Foundation offers anoveractive bladder assessment toolthat could help you identify your symptoms. This tool is not a replacement for an evaluation from a healthcare provider.
Overactive Bladder Assessment Tool
The Urology Care Foundation offers anoveractive bladder assessment toolthat could help you identify your symptoms. This tool is not a replacement for an evaluation from a healthcare provider.
Describing Weak Bladder Symptoms
Overactive bladder syndrome can be described as urinary urgency (with or withouturgency incontinence), usually with increased frequency during daytime and nighttime, and without the presence of infection or other abnormalities.
Overactive bladder withurge incontinenceis called “overactive bladder-dry,” and accounts for about two thirds of people with overactive bladder. Overactive bladder with urge incontinence is called “overactive bladder-wet.”
Symptoms of overactive bladder may include:
Overactive bladder shares several symptoms with bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis), but overactive bladder does not havebladder and/or pelvic painordyspareunia(pain associated with sexual intercourse) like bladder pain syndrome does.
Similarly,bladder endometriosisanduterine fibroidsshare symptoms with overactive bladder, but also have symptoms such as pelvic and/or back pain and pain with urination, which are not features of overactive bladder.
If you are experiencing pain, or other symptoms, let your healthcare provider know.
When Do Symptoms Warrant a Provider Visit?
See your healthcare provider if you have signs of overactive bladder, or other symptoms of bladder problems. Symptoms of a problem with the bladder may include:
Go to the emergency room right away if you have signs of spinal cord damage, such as:
While less likely than causes such as overactive bladder, changes in urination can be an indication ofbladder cancer. Symptoms of bladder cancer may include:
Largerbladder cancersor those that havespread to other parts of the bodymay cause other symptoms, such as:
See your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns.
Is Squirting Associated With Overactive Bladder?Urge incontinence can cause urination during sex (calledsquirting), particularly at orgasm.The fluid released during squirting is believed to originate from the bladder, and has been shown in studies to be mainly urine, but has also been found to contain fluid from the Skene’s gland (sometimes called the female prostate).Researchers are still working to better understand why and how squirting happens.
Is Squirting Associated With Overactive Bladder?
Urge incontinence can cause urination during sex (calledsquirting), particularly at orgasm.The fluid released during squirting is believed to originate from the bladder, and has been shown in studies to be mainly urine, but has also been found to contain fluid from the Skene’s gland (sometimes called the female prostate).Researchers are still working to better understand why and how squirting happens.
Urge incontinence can cause urination during sex (calledsquirting), particularly at orgasm.
The fluid released during squirting is believed to originate from the bladder, and has been shown in studies to be mainly urine, but has also been found to contain fluid from the Skene’s gland (sometimes called the female prostate).
Researchers are still working to better understand why and how squirting happens.
How to Immediately Manage Sudden Bladder Weakness
Practicing what are known as “quick flicks” is a way to help lessen the urgent need to urinate. When you get the sudden urge, squeeze and release yourpelvic floor musclesseveral times in a row as quickly as you can.
This can help tell your nervous system to send a message to your bladder to stop contracting, and lessen the urge to urinate. It is particularly helpful if you can relax, be still, and concentrate on the exercise when you do it. It may not completely get rid of the urge, but it might buy you enough time to get to the toilet.
Other things that may help include:
Specialists to See About Overactive BladderYour first point of care may be your primary care practitioner, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant.Your healthcare provider may decide to refer you to aspecialist, depending on your symptoms, history, and needs. These might include:Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) specialist: Urologists or gynecologists expertly trained infemale pelvic healthGeriatricians: Medical doctors who treat older adultsGynecologist: Focuses on women’s healthPhysical therapists: Help with pelvic floor disorders, including helping with exercises and lifestyle changes for overactive bladderUrologist: Specializes in the urinary system
Specialists to See About Overactive Bladder
Your first point of care may be your primary care practitioner, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant.Your healthcare provider may decide to refer you to aspecialist, depending on your symptoms, history, and needs. These might include:Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) specialist: Urologists or gynecologists expertly trained infemale pelvic healthGeriatricians: Medical doctors who treat older adultsGynecologist: Focuses on women’s healthPhysical therapists: Help with pelvic floor disorders, including helping with exercises and lifestyle changes for overactive bladderUrologist: Specializes in the urinary system
Your first point of care may be your primary care practitioner, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant.
Your healthcare provider may decide to refer you to aspecialist, depending on your symptoms, history, and needs. These might include:
Lifestyle Habits for Better Bladder Control
Treatment for overactive bladderoften starts with conservative measures such as lifestyle changes. Your healthcare provider may suggest:
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises
Pelvic floor muscle exercisescan strengthen the muscles that control urine flow and help reduce leaks.
Aphysical therapistcan help with pelvic floor muscle exercises. Biofeedback (uses computer graphs and sounds to monitor muscle movement) may help with learning how your pelvic muscles move and how strong they are.
You can also do someexercises at home, making sure you are doing them properly.
Kegelsare a helpful pelvic floor exercise. It helps to lie down when you are first learning how to do Kegels.
To do Kegels:
Once you have the hang of doing Kegels, you can do them sitting or standing, and you can practice them while you are doing other activities, such as sitting at your desk, doing chores, or waiting in line. To not weaken the pelvic floor exercises over time, do not do Kegels while urinating.
Some people see symptom improvement with Kegels and some don’t. It may take four to six weeks before you start to see a positive difference in your symptoms. Keep doing the exercises, even if symptoms improve.
How to Treat Overactive Bladder
Medications
Medications that your healthcare provider mayprescribe for overactive bladderinclude:
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Procedures your healthcare provider may suggest for overactive bladder include:
More Invasive Surgical Procedures
Surgical options your healthcare provider may suggest to helpoveractive bladderinclude:
These surgeries carry significant risks and are only offered when no other options are appropriate or effective.
Summary
Overactive bladder can cause frequent urination and strong sudden urges to urinate, even when the bladder is not full.
Overactive bladder is typically managed with conservative measures such as reducing triggers, bladder training, andpelvic floor exercises. Occasionally, more extensive measures are needed, such as medications or surgery.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of overactive bladder.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Pennsylvania.Overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.What is overactive bladder (OAB)?Hutchinson A, Nesbitt A, Joshi A, Clubb A, Perera M.Overactive bladder syndrome: Management and treatment options. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(9):593-598. doi:10.31128/AJGP-11-19-5142National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence).Scarneciu I, Lupu S, Bratu O, et al.Overactive bladder: A review and update. Exp Ther Med. 2021;22(6):1444. doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10879Cedars-Sinai.Overactive bladder.Lightner DJ, Gomelsky A, Souter L, Vasavada SP.Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (Non-neurogenic) in adults: aua/sufu guideline amendment 2019. Journal of Urology. 2019;202(3):558-563. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000000309Merck Manual.Urinary incontinence in adults.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Health Service.Urinary incontinence.Inoue M, Sekiguchi Y, Ninomiya N, Kobayashi T, Araki M.Enhanced visualization of female squirting[published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 24].Int J Urol. 2022;10.1111/iju.15004. doi:10.1111/iju.15004University of Michigan Health.Neurogenic bladder.Office on Women’s Health.Urinary incontinence.National Health Service.10 ways to stop leaks.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Pennsylvania.Overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.What is overactive bladder (OAB)?Hutchinson A, Nesbitt A, Joshi A, Clubb A, Perera M.Overactive bladder syndrome: Management and treatment options. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(9):593-598. doi:10.31128/AJGP-11-19-5142National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence).Scarneciu I, Lupu S, Bratu O, et al.Overactive bladder: A review and update. Exp Ther Med. 2021;22(6):1444. doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10879Cedars-Sinai.Overactive bladder.Lightner DJ, Gomelsky A, Souter L, Vasavada SP.Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (Non-neurogenic) in adults: aua/sufu guideline amendment 2019. Journal of Urology. 2019;202(3):558-563. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000000309Merck Manual.Urinary incontinence in adults.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Health Service.Urinary incontinence.Inoue M, Sekiguchi Y, Ninomiya N, Kobayashi T, Araki M.Enhanced visualization of female squirting[published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 24].Int J Urol. 2022;10.1111/iju.15004. doi:10.1111/iju.15004University of Michigan Health.Neurogenic bladder.Office on Women’s Health.Urinary incontinence.National Health Service.10 ways to stop leaks.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Pennsylvania.Overactive bladder.Urology Care Foundation.What is overactive bladder (OAB)?Hutchinson A, Nesbitt A, Joshi A, Clubb A, Perera M.Overactive bladder syndrome: Management and treatment options. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(9):593-598. doi:10.31128/AJGP-11-19-5142National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence).Scarneciu I, Lupu S, Bratu O, et al.Overactive bladder: A review and update. Exp Ther Med. 2021;22(6):1444. doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10879Cedars-Sinai.Overactive bladder.Lightner DJ, Gomelsky A, Souter L, Vasavada SP.Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (Non-neurogenic) in adults: aua/sufu guideline amendment 2019. Journal of Urology. 2019;202(3):558-563. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000000309Merck Manual.Urinary incontinence in adults.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Health Service.Urinary incontinence.Inoue M, Sekiguchi Y, Ninomiya N, Kobayashi T, Araki M.Enhanced visualization of female squirting[published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 24].Int J Urol. 2022;10.1111/iju.15004. doi:10.1111/iju.15004University of Michigan Health.Neurogenic bladder.Office on Women’s Health.Urinary incontinence.National Health Service.10 ways to stop leaks.
University of Pennsylvania.Overactive bladder.
Urology Care Foundation.What is overactive bladder (OAB)?
Hutchinson A, Nesbitt A, Joshi A, Clubb A, Perera M.Overactive bladder syndrome: Management and treatment options. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(9):593-598. doi:10.31128/AJGP-11-19-5142
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence).
Scarneciu I, Lupu S, Bratu O, et al.Overactive bladder: A review and update. Exp Ther Med. 2021;22(6):1444. doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10879
Cedars-Sinai.Overactive bladder.
Lightner DJ, Gomelsky A, Souter L, Vasavada SP.Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (Non-neurogenic) in adults: aua/sufu guideline amendment 2019. Journal of Urology. 2019;202(3):558-563. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000000309
Merck Manual.Urinary incontinence in adults.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.
National Health Service.Urinary incontinence.
Inoue M, Sekiguchi Y, Ninomiya N, Kobayashi T, Araki M.Enhanced visualization of female squirting[published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 24].Int J Urol. 2022;10.1111/iju.15004. doi:10.1111/iju.15004
University of Michigan Health.Neurogenic bladder.
Office on Women’s Health.Urinary incontinence.
National Health Service.10 ways to stop leaks.
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